Patricia Neal
January 20, 1926- August 8, 2010
George Peppard, Audrey Hepburn, Patricia Neal (Mrs. Failenson)
Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
I've been so out of the loop for so long dear readers that I just found out that the talented, husky voiced Oscar winning Patricia Neal passed away on August 8th, 2010 at the age of 84
. TCM is hosting a tribute in honor of the late Neal this week, so be sure to tune in and see this extraordinary woman in some of her memorable roles. She had quite the extensive resume, working opposite some of the most well known actors in the industry including Gary Cooper, John Wayne, and Paul Newman.
Neal was born January 20, 1926 in Kentucky and named Patsy Louise. A name that soon got a revamp once she entered the business. She began her career at the age of 21 starring opposite Ronald Reagan in the rom-con
John Loves Mary. She then went on to star in
The Fountainhead with Cooper and eventually
Hud, which earned her an Academy Award.
Patricia Neal and Gary Cooper
Fountainhead (1949)
Patricia Neal and Paul Newman
HUD (1963)
Neal's life was defined by a combination of triumph and tragedy. She endured the death of her first child daughter due to measles and the calamitous injury to her son who was struck in an accident and was brain damaged. Thereafter, she suffered three massive strokes which left her in a coma for three weeks and left her semi-paralyzed and unable to speak. But through it all, she was able to walk and talk again with the help of her husband British writer Roald Dahl, and in 1968 she returned to the screen as the bitter mother in the screen version of Frank Gilroy’s play “The Subject Was Roses.” Once again she was nominated for an Academy Award.
Patricia Neal and Martin Sheen
The Subject was Roses (1968)
Patricia Neal died on August 8, 2010 in Edgarton, Massachusetts from lung cancer. She was 84 years old
